REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS

In the garden, and RAIN!!!!

POSTED BY: SIGNYM
UPDATED: Tuesday, November 1, 2022 17:55
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Tuesday, June 9, 2020 2:54 AM

1KIKI

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.


So, I went to the ATM. I was going to do a bunch of shopping and start cooking in batches - shakshouka (Tunisian recipe of eggs poached in a sauce made of tomatoes, sweet red peppers, onions, and garlic with herbs and spices) with beef (new recipe); a standard pork and cabbage stew with potato, carrot, celery and onion; and a cream of chicken mushroom soup made with cauliflower and milk instead of cream and roux (new recipe).

But when I was walking back to my car I saw a big puddle underneath and a brisk drip, drip, drip from the bottom of the car. Thinking it might be gasoline, I put the car in neutral and rolled it off the puddle - and sure enough - it was gas. Sigh. Thank goodness for AAA and their free towing under 7 miles. And I'm OK with fixing it. The car is still super reliable after all these years, and the fix is far cheaper than a new(ish) car.

But not having a car for the next couple of days sure is going to put a dent in my plans.

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Tuesday, June 9, 2020 2:58 AM

BRENDA


Quote:

Originally posted by 1KIKI:
Hey Brenda - good news!



Yup, I think lowering the seizure med may work.

And yes, good news on my eye doc.

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Tuesday, June 9, 2020 2:59 AM

BRENDA


KIKI, sorry to hear about the car. That is a bummer.

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Tuesday, June 9, 2020 3:43 AM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.


Quote:

Originally posted by Brenda:
Quote:

Originally posted by 1KIKI:
Hey Brenda - good news!



Yup, I think lowering the seizure med may work.

And yes, good news on my eye doc.

I hope that lowering your meds might boost your mood a little bit, too. *fingers crossed*

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

#WEARAMASK

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Tuesday, June 9, 2020 3:44 AM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.


Quote:

Originally posted by 1KIKI:
So, I went to the ATM. I was going to do a bunch of shopping and start cooking in batches - shakshouka (Tunisian recipe of eggs poached in a sauce made of tomatoes, sweet red peppers, onions, and garlic with herbs and spices) with beef (new recipe); a standard pork and cabbage stew with potato, carrot, celery and onion; and a cream of chicken mushroom soup made with cauliflower and milk instead of cream and roux (new recipe).

But when I was walking back to my car I saw a big puddle underneath and a brisk drip, drip, drip from the bottom of the car. Thinking it might be gasoline, I put the car in neutral and rolled it off the puddle - and sure enough - it was gas. Sigh. Thank goodness for AAA and their free towing under 7 miles. And I'm OK with fixing it. The car is still super reliable after all these years, and the fix is far cheaper than a new(ish) car.

But not having a car for the next couple of days sure is going to put a dent in my plans.

No rental?

Anyway, get in touch if you think you'll be car-less for more than a couple days.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

#WEARAMASK

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Tuesday, June 9, 2020 3:58 AM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.


I seem to have stalled out a bit. I know I should be making better progress on a couple of important items but I just can't seem to get the get-up-and-go to get it done. And I'd like to do something more with the front yard besides maintenance, but I haven't figured out what, yet, so I'm stuck putting in work w/o seeing progress.

I do have to say that torching and spraying have REALLY cut back on the weeding chores, tho! Been noodling on that frontyard landscape ... visualization is SOOOO not my "thing" when I'm focused on looks, altho I can make perfectly functional landscapes and gardens (yanno, when to use trees for shade, and how to create a flower garden or vegetable garden, where to put walkways and sprinklers etc)

So in lieu of doing anything important and necessary, I bought a bunch of pollinator-friendly seeds for the old veggie garden. I was going to use that for my veggies instead of the groundcover sage area that I wound up ripping out, but the family was so distraught that I might disturb the nasturtiums that had taken over the old veggie garden during the winter. I tried to tell them that those flowers would poop out by June anyway, but they begged and begged for me to leave them alone. So now the flowers are pooped out and it's too late to put summer vegies in there, and way too early for winter veggies, so dd and I picked out a bunch of flower seeds - borage, sunflower, cosmos, marigold, milkweed (for the monarchs), zinnia etc and we're just going to toss them in and water the garden and cross our fingers.

Sigh. Still have to get to the important stuff tho.

Tomorrow is garage fixit day ... we got the rest of the replacement LEDS in, compatible with fluorescent fixtures (bipin 48" tubes) except the ballast which needs to be removed.

I just feel kinda outta steam.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

#WEARAMASK

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Tuesday, June 9, 2020 5:30 AM

1KIKI

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.


Oh, re the car - I talked w/ the shop owner and he said gas tank leaks are very common in my kind of car. But he'd take a look in the AM, and that he might have to order a part. It doesn't sound like it should be too complicated or take too long. I'll just shift my focus to stuff in the house.

Quote:

Originally posted by SIGNYM:
I seem to have stalled out a bit. I know I should be making better progress on a couple of important items but I just can't seem to get the get-up-and-go to get it done.

I would LOVE to be at your level of stalled out! it would be quite a step up for me.
Quote:

And I'd like to do something more with the front yard besides maintenance, but I haven't figured out what, yet, so I'm stuck putting in work w/o seeing progress.
I think we're at the same conundrum. We'd like some kind of drought tolerant tree on either side of the front walkway. Bigger than a shrub, but not so big it's disproportionate to the house. Something attractive, and wildlife and pollinator friendly, maybe even productive and edible ... ... I'm still thinking. I had sort-of settled on some of the larger crape myrtle, but even though the bees love it, in terms how wildlife friendly it is, that's about it. I have plenty of native cherry trees already. Pomegranate is pretty but it has such a distinctive look that doesn't necessarily go with the natives and crapes I already have. Elderberry gets too HUGE. The tall privet I have is a thug, over time. Native willow requires a ton of water. Acacia (prosopis alba) is very pretty, but invasive. There are many native shrubs but they don't take to pruning into a tree-shape. I may settle for crapes, but I think I'll mull a bit longer. But I think I understand your sticking point.
Quote:

I do have to say that torching and spraying have REALLY cut back on the weeding chores, tho!
That's a terrific thing! One can kill an awful lot of time and energy into that!
Quote:

Been noodling on that frontyard landscape ... visualization is SOOOO not my "thing" when I'm focused on looks, altho I can make perfectly functional landscapes and gardens (yanno, when to use trees for shade, and how to create a flower garden or vegetable garden, where to put walkways and sprinklers etc)
I think for me the hardest part is deciding what the 'look' will be and just going for it. But at least I have a theme - trees, hardscape, and mulch; native if possible, wildlife and pollinator friendly, and drought tolerant. All to moderate the amount of heat in the yard while allowing breezes, and to avoid having to do a lot of maintenance on lawns. groundcovers, etc.
Quote:

So in lieu of doing anything important and necessary, I bought a bunch of pollinator-friendly seeds for the old veggie garden. I was going to use that for my veggies instead of the groundcover sage area that I wound up ripping out, but the family was so distraught that I might disturb the nasturtiums that had taken over the old veggie garden during the winter. I tried to tell them that those flowers would poop out by June anyway, but they begged and begged for me to leave them alone. So now the flowers are pooped out and it's too late to put summer veggies in there, and way too early for winter veggies, so dd and I picked out a bunch of flower seeds - borage, sunflower, cosmos, marigold, milkweed (for the monarchs), zinnia etc and we're just going to toss them in and water the garden and cross our fingers.
I think it'll be QUITE a pretty sight!
Quote:

Sigh. Still have to get to the important stuff tho.
Yeah ... don't remind me about all the stuff I need to get to.
Quote:

Tomorrow is garage fixit day ... we got the rest of the replacement LEDS in, compatible with fluorescent fixtures (bipin 48" tubes) except the ballast which needs to be removed.

I just feel kinda outta steam.

I'm very sorry to hear that.
Quote:



-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

#WEARAMASK

Good night, all. Tomorrow is a new day.

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Tuesday, June 9, 2020 10:10 AM

6IXSTRINGJACK


Quote:

Originally posted by SIGNYM:
I seem to have stalled out a bit. I know I should be making better progress on a couple of important items but I just can't seem to get the get-up-and-go to get it done. And I'd like to do something more with the front yard besides maintenance, but I haven't figured out what, yet, so I'm stuck putting in work w/o seeing progress.

I do have to say that torching and spraying have REALLY cut back on the weeding chores, tho! Been noodling on that frontyard landscape ... visualization is SOOOO not my "thing" when I'm focused on looks, altho I can make perfectly functional landscapes and gardens (yanno, when to use trees for shade, and how to create a flower garden or vegetable garden, where to put walkways and sprinklers etc)

So in lieu of doing anything important and necessary, I bought a bunch of pollinator-friendly seeds for the old veggie garden. I was going to use that for my veggies instead of the groundcover sage area that I wound up ripping out, but the family was so distraught that I might disturb the nasturtiums that had taken over the old veggie garden during the winter. I tried to tell them that those flowers would poop out by June anyway, but they begged and begged for me to leave them alone. So now the flowers are pooped out and it's too late to put summer vegies in there, and way too early for winter veggies, so dd and I picked out a bunch of flower seeds - borage, sunflower, cosmos, marigold, milkweed (for the monarchs), zinnia etc and we're just going to toss them in and water the garden and cross our fingers.

Sigh. Still have to get to the important stuff tho.

Tomorrow is garage fixit day ... we got the rest of the replacement LEDS in, compatible with fluorescent fixtures (bipin 48" tubes) except the ballast which needs to be removed.

I just feel kinda outta steam.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

#WEARAMASK




I feel for you Sigs...

I've kind of stalled out myself here. Stupid car is really throwing a wrench into my plans, when I was on such a roll. By 2:00PM yesterday I wasn't feeling that great after spending all day either under my car or inside driving it in the hot sun with no A/C, so I went inside, turned on the A/C and literally did nothing for the rest of the day.


I was hoping to have an easy time removing an O2 sensor since mine was located conveniently and looked to have two nuts bolting it down that wouldn't require a special O2 removing tool (people on Amazon said to just use a regular wrench if that would do the job instead of buying a somewhat pricey set from China that doesn't hold up very well). But then I figured out these aren't even your standard nuts and bolts holding in the assembly and I don't even know how I'd get them off without doing more research. I'm glad I at least realized that before I snapped something off.


I changed the oil yesterday, did a few re-wraps and used all 4 clamps (1 where it belongs on the end that fits, then 3 of them holding down my temporary patch) and that seemed to do the trick. I will get it fixed professionally if I can save the car because just doing this fix to the exhaust system has done more than I ever would have imagined for the performance of the car. (and makes me even more determined to save it).

I also put some SeaFoam in the oil tank and gas tank. Some people recommend using CataClean when you're at 1/4 tank and burning that off. Other people recommend filling your tank with High Octane. Both of these should do a good job cleaning your Cat if that's a problem. I will probably try both... I still have to burn off about a quarter tank before starting that.


I decided to clear the codes late yesterday as well. I hope that wasn't a bad decision, as now I have 4 incomplete monitors to get to the OK status. But without any real documentation and just a bunch of online posts to go off of, I'm wondering if the CAT test just isn't initiating because it's already passed up and the EVAP monitor was OK. The EVAP test is supposed to go last in chronological order, and maybe since my car is so old it doesn't go back and do the CAT later.

Worth a shot.


I'm not throwing off any bad codes, so I'm confused what the problem is. Except for a few anonymous posts online that claim to the contrary, if there were a problem with my Catalytic converter or either of the O2 sensors, there should have been problem codes... The O2 sensors might not make the check engine light go on by themselves, but the Catalyst code definitely should if there is a problem.

I got to go out and do some driving. Fingers crossed.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Tuesday, June 9, 2020 12:33 PM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.


I'm sure you kow more about this than I do, but clearing the codes just might do the trick. Even a car as old as your has an onboard computer that comes with factory defaults, but the settings adjust to your car performance specifics as you drive.

Just keep the windows open when you run the engine, and don't run it indoors anywhere. Given the way it performs, it MAY be producing a lot of carbon monoxide, and you may be suffering from carbon monoxide (not dioxide, MONoxide) poisoning.

Carbon monoxide ties up the hemoglobin in your bloodstream and prevents oxygen from attaching, so you suffer from bodywide lack of oxygen.

Early symptoms include headache, nausea, fatigue, and body aches ... like a flu, but no fever.

https://www.emedicinehealth.com/carbon_monoxide_poisoning/article_em.h
tm



One of my chemists actually got carbon monoxide poisoning from analyzying a sample with percent-level CO, and he was only using about 50mL (about a half-cup) at a time.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

#WEARAMASK

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Tuesday, June 9, 2020 1:18 PM

BRENDA


Quote:

Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Quote:

Originally posted by Brenda:
Quote:

Originally posted by 1KIKI:
Hey Brenda - good news!



Yup, I think lowering the seizure med may work.

And yes, good news on my eye doc.

I hope that lowering your meds might boost your mood a little bit, too. *fingers crossed*

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

#WEARAMASK



I think it will help. Think I may have mentioned that I hate my seizure meds.

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Tuesday, June 9, 2020 1:22 PM

BRENDA


Anyways out for my walk in a bit in the RAIN.

Saw a news blip a bit ago on this thing. Ontario is being suffocated this June. One area has already set up a cooling station for its citizens.
While we in BC are being drowned. It is pouring but I need a walk to keep moving as my left leg tried to cramp up this morning.

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Tuesday, June 9, 2020 10:36 PM

6IXSTRINGJACK


Quote:

Originally posted by SIGNYM:
I'm sure you kow more about this than I do, but clearing the codes just might do the trick. Even a car as old as your has an onboard computer that comes with factory defaults, but the settings adjust to your car performance specifics as you drive.



I just learned that you are a lot better off with an older car like I've got (assuming you can pass, that is). These old dogs only have to pass the diagnostic once for things like the CAT and EVAP systems, and then they don't get run again until after the battery is pulled or the system is wiped by an OBD. New cars will continuously run things like that and fail you if they go bad in between. I saw a cool video of an app a guy was using on a tablet that he could hook up to his car and show a million more things than my cheapo little Chinese meter does.

I put two drive cycles on the car today and around 100 miles. 3 of the systems showed OK immediately upon starting up (they are the continuous diagnostics). 1 of them completed by the first stop light (I believe the ECG monitor). The biggest one to set today would be the O2 Sensor Monitor, which cleared by the time I hit the expressway. At least I THINK that should mean that my O2 sensors are good.

Still no luck on the CAT monitor, and the EVAP hasn't gone either. I'm kind of glad the EVAP hasn't gone yet. That was kind of the whole purpose of resetting everything since I've read that the EVAP is supposed to happen after the CAT.

Tomorrow I'm throwing some CataClean or at least some STP and just driving my car until it runs out of gas. I'll have a can on me to fill it so I can get to the gas station, and I'll try to run out around the place where I can buy high octane and put in half a tank of that.

Quote:

Just keep the windows open when you run the engine, and don't run it indoors anywhere. Given the way it performs, it MAY be producing a lot of carbon monoxide, and you may be suffering from carbon monoxide (not dioxide, MONoxide) poisoning.

Carbon monoxide ties up the hemoglobin in your bloodstream and prevents oxygen from attaching, so you suffer from bodywide lack of oxygen.

Early symptoms include headache, nausea, fatigue, and body aches ... like a flu, but no fever.

https://www.emedicinehealth.com/carbon_monoxide_poisoning/article_em.h
tm



One of my chemists actually got carbon monoxide poisoning from analyzying a sample with percent-level CO, and he was only using about 50mL (about a half-cup) at a time.




Thanks for the tip. I've probably already done some damage over the years with it, but I've always tried to have windows open even during the winter. I'd say right now after doing the flex pipe that my car is probably safer than it's been in years. At least I know the vast majority of the emissions are going out the tail pipe instead of under my seat now.




We almost had a tornado around here earlier. First time in my life I'd ever seen the sky do that in person. I was out in my garage working, ignoring the city's raid sirens until the third time they went and I opened up the door and said out loud "that ain't good".

I don't think I've ever seen clouds that low before. I'd look to the West and the clouds were going Northwest. I'd look to the East and the clouds were going Northeast. I never did see a funnel, but I wouldn't be surprised if they got one a little north of me.

By the time I went inside and checked the internet, it had already passed us and I went back out to the garage. I'm about 2 hours away from having everything in there completely clean and organized. Maybe another 1 1/2 hours integrating the tools in my house outside too.



Weather permitting, I'm going to finish the garage tomorrow, do the gas thing with the car, fill my tires up on my car once I get the compressor back out into its new home, and then I'm going to re-install my car radio I took out years ago when I thought my car trobles were electrical (based off of the guy I used to have work on my cars years ago).

I read that something as stupid as your cigarette lighter not working properly in your car can cause the CAT test not to complete. Maybe it's possible that the test isn't running because there is no radio hooked up????

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Wednesday, June 10, 2020 1:36 AM

6IXSTRINGJACK


I'll be damned...

I've got two Catalytic Converters. The guy I've been watching do YouTube videos either didn't know that, or didn't bother mentioning it because that CAT isn't going to make you fail the test.

At least, I don't think it will... The 2nd one is really far downstream and close to the muffler, way past the 2nd O2 sensor. So I'm not sure how it would be able to even be tested.

But if I'm wrong and that's why the CAT test isn't initiating, I may have to bite the bullet and have somebody give my flex pipe a proper weld. At least 95% of the emissions is making it all the way down-pipe right now, but I know it can't be all of it with my temporary patch job.

The only reason I figured that out is because I was watching another auto guy I like talking about how to clean your cat and he simply threw his in a bucket with dish detergent in it overnight, and I recognized the part from the back of my car. I probably won't be able to reach and remove it with my ramps. Might have to ask around for some good jacks/stands.



I'm downloading (what I believe) is the service manual now. Time to do some real research.

If I get this to work after upping the performance beyond my expectations so far, I might just have to look into figuring out how to fix the A/C. I could probably get another 5 to 10 years out of this car.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Wednesday, June 10, 2020 3:46 AM

6IXSTRINGJACK


All the drive cycles I've heard about from YT or all over the internet are BS... I found the exact drive cycle from the manufacture for my model within my year range.


It is actually possible that with how infrequently I drive that I just never got that to go off in a year and a half, given the parameters. The first part of the cycle that you need to hold steady is slower than I ever drive on the expressway and faster than I ever drive on side streets. It's slower than all the highway miles I've put on in the last week and faster than all the city miles I put on last week.

It doesn't matter that I've done the second part of the cycle when the first part was never completed...


I'm scrapping all plans I had for now. I'm going to try the drive cycle tomorrow with the additives I already have in the tank, which may or may not work. Then I'll fill it over 1/2 tank and do it again. Probably have to wait an extra day to do the EVAP one since you are required to leave it overnight with a cold start for that to complete as well as having 1/4 to 3/4 tank of gas for it to even initiate.


If it works, I'll get that pipe welded proper, change my spark plugs again and consider fixing my A/C and broken door handle.




Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Wednesday, June 10, 2020 12:19 PM

6IXSTRINGJACK


Not only do I have to tell my neighbor thanks for all the years of cleaning out the sewers at the corner of the street, but let him know that in a perfect world the entire 3 block area around us owes him a debt of gratitude.

He lost a lot of his mobility with a back issue during the winter, and even with a shot he's not moving too well. So last night was the 2nd time I cleared out our sewers when they started to back up.

I woke up late this morning because yesterday was a long day and I didn't sleep very well. I look out the kitchen window and what do I see? Somebody bravely driving their coup through water so high I probably wouldn't have chanced it, two kids playing in the water with their parents yelling at them to stop, and the entire street is flooded and up about 15 feet on my property. My first thought was the city sewer was screwed up again!... but then I remembered the chaotic winds and near tornado yesterday and did the math...

A rake, some elbow grease, a pair of soaking shoes, socks and jeans and 45 minutes of my morning and the street is clear.


"If you do things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all." ~God, Futureama


But I know now...

And so does the entire family that mysteriously disappeared into their houses as soon as I got to work. Half of the work being on their side of the street.




And to think... I used to get pissed off at that neighbor for dumping 50 lbs of soaking wet helicopters on my grass in front of the sewer. I had no idea how much hassle he saved me over the years.


I guess I'm the reluctant Patriarch of the block now. I don't have any choice since my lawn will be most affected and my car will be pinned in unless those sewers are working.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Wednesday, June 10, 2020 1:39 PM

BRENDA


I think the monitor for my Blair's system is shot. Going to have a look around and see if I can get another one.

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Wednesday, June 10, 2020 8:58 PM

6IXSTRINGJACK


Quote:

Originally posted by Brenda:
I think the monitor for my Blair's system is shot. Going to have a look around and see if I can get another one.



Monitor? System?

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Wednesday, June 10, 2020 9:09 PM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.


Quote:

Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Not only do I have to tell my neighbor thanks for all the years of cleaning out the sewers at the corner of the street, but let him know that in a perfect world the entire 3 block area around us owes him a debt of gratitude.

He lost a lot of his mobility with a back issue during the winter, and even with a shot he's not moving too well. So last night was the 2nd time I cleared out our sewers when they started to back up.

I woke up late this morning because yesterday was a long day and I didn't sleep very well. I look out the kitchen window and what do I see? Somebody bravely driving their coup through water so high I probably wouldn't have chanced it, two kids playing in the water with their parents yelling at them to stop, and the entire street is flooded and up about 15 feet on my property. My first thought was the city sewer was screwed up again!... but then I remembered the chaotic winds and near tornado yesterday and did the math...

A rake, some elbow grease, a pair of soaking shoes, socks and jeans and 45 minutes of my morning and the street is clear.


"If you do things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all." ~God, Futureama


But I know now...

And so does the entire family that mysteriously disappeared into their houses as soon as I got to work. Half of the work being on their side of the street.




And to think... I used to get pissed off at that neighbor for dumping 50 lbs of soaking wet helicopters on my grass in front of the sewer. I had no idea how much hassle he saved me over the years.


I guess I'm the reluctant Patriarch of the block now. I don't have any choice since my lawn will be most affected and my car will be pinned in unless those sewers are working.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

Yep, I guess you're That Guy now.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

#WEARAMASK

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Wednesday, June 10, 2020 9:12 PM

6IXSTRINGJACK


I passed.


I probably didn't even need to fix my emissions because of where the O2 sensors were located, but now that it's all over with I'm glad that this happened. The car runs so much better now, and that's with my temporary McGyver fix keeping it all together. I've got an appointment with a welding guy to do it all up proper. $50 to $100 depending on how difficult it will be... he didn't want to say for sure over the phone. My cut is clean. It will be easy. Hell... If I had a welding machine I'd do it myself and I've never welded before.


Just an FYI for anybody who ever needs a CAT test to initiate. Here's the steps that I took that I think ended up in a successful diagnostic, in order of importance:

1. FIND THE EXACT DRIVE CYCLE FOR YOUR MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR OF YOUR VEHICLE. Don't listen to what anybody on YouTube says, or even what mechanics say. They don't know. They couldn't possibly know because drive cycles are all over the freaking map.

Also, DON'T try any "tricks" with revving your engine up while in park for a few minutes at a time. This DID NOT WORK at all and I easily put 30 minutes on my car at 3,000RPM while in park, which might destroy a lesser engine than the bulletproof masterpieces the Japanese were putting out back in the 90's.

2. Buy an OBDII scanner. Even a $25 one that tells you basic codes and which tests have and have not completed will be super helpful. If you have the money, spend the extra cash for one with more monitoring features like temperature values on individual sensors (although in the end I didn't need this, and I knew as much once I did the research last night and read up on the service manual).

3. Dump a bunch of SeaFoam and Heet into your gas tank. The Caveat is that you probably don't need to do this if you have a newer car and you use good gasoline. Additives were much more necessary in the old days when there weren't as many government regulations on gas quality and vehicle construction. But if you haven't treated your car right in the past and/or filled up with cheap gasoline, it can't hurt to burn off a bad tank of gas with additives while trying to get the tests to initiate. SeaFoam does a great job cleaning up carbon deposits within the entire system, and Heet will get any water out of your tank from cheap gasoline.

4. Once your just about out of gas, fill it up with 93 Supreme at a place known to have good gasoline. Look online to find where good gasoline is by you.

5. Follow that drive cycle to the best of your ability. Don't worry if you have to stop and start up again in between. Contrary to the verbiage of the documentation that people post online, the actual drive cycle documentation tells you that this is OK to do. Just make sure you accelerate slowly and coast to stops in between and don't do any hard breaking.

That being said, give it quite a bit more time to complete than they tell you in the cycle before stopping and shutting your car off, especially for a trouble monitor like the CAT. You obviously bank some of that driving time at the correct speeds in between starting and stopping, but the documentation doesn't state anywhere how much or exactly how that works. It took me over 3 times as long to get the CAT monitor to read OK than the drive cycle was supposed to be. Had I turned off the car before it cleared I would have had to start from square one.


I actually hope this doesn't help anybody and nobody ever needs to be put through that stress and BS.




Oh... total cost to have 2 more years driving my car: $34 for flex pipe and clamps (the clamps I'll probably return after the weld). $30 for gas. 1 broken heavy metal sawzall blade, and another that I dulled to the point of ineffectiveness.



Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Wednesday, June 10, 2020 11:42 PM

BRENDA


Quote:

Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Quote:

Originally posted by Brenda:
I think the monitor for my Blair's system is shot. Going to have a look around and see if I can get another one.



Monitor? System?

Do Right, Be Right. :)



Sorry. I inherited my late guy's desktop computer when he died. I've got it all wired up here in my new place but the monitor doesn't want to cooperate, so I am thinking it is dead. I turned it one once in the crap place and the acer screen came up (as it is an acer monitor) then I turned it on once after I moved and it wouldn't read the hard drive. All I got was "no signal". Now, when I tried turning it on this week, nothing happened.

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Wednesday, June 10, 2020 11:48 PM

1KIKI

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.


Your computer boots up? Lights go on and fans go on?

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Wednesday, June 10, 2020 11:50 PM

1KIKI

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.


I got my car back! It was the gas tank.

YAY!! I have wheels!

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Thursday, June 11, 2020 3:31 AM

BRENDA


Quote:

Originally posted by 1KIKI:
Your computer boots up? Lights go on and fans go on?



Yup, the drive works as far as I can tell.

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Thursday, June 11, 2020 5:08 AM

1KIKI

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.


I'm wondering if you get a new monitor if you'll have the drivers (code) to run it, or even the video card. I think your computer might be pretty old. Maybe call up a computer place and let them know what you have and ask what they might recommend.

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Thursday, June 11, 2020 5:45 AM

6IXSTRINGJACK


Shouldn't have to worry about drivers for a monitor anymore these days, unless we're talking about a system so old it's still using Windows XP or something.

But if the computer doesn't have HDMI output which sounds extremely likely, you'd have to make sure that the new monitor has whatever input needed from the video card, or you'd have to buy a converter for it.



DVI (top) or VGA (bottom) is most likely. I haven't bought a new computer monitor in about 5 years, so I don't know what they typically have these days, but mind has DVI, VGA and HDMI inputs.



Quote:

Originally posted by Brenda:
Quote:

Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Quote:

Originally posted by Brenda:
I think the monitor for my Blair's system is shot. Going to have a look around and see if I can get another one.



Monitor? System?

Do Right, Be Right. :)



Sorry. I inherited my late guy's desktop computer when he died. I've got it all wired up here in my new place but the monitor doesn't want to cooperate, so I am thinking it is dead. I turned it one once in the crap place and the acer screen came up (as it is an acer monitor) then I turned it on once after I moved and it wouldn't read the hard drive. All I got was "no signal". Now, when I tried turning it on this week, nothing happened.



Is there a reason you think it's not reading the hard drive?

I'm only asking because it sounds like you're explaining a different problem and I'm not aware what your level of knowledge with computers is and I don't want to assume anything.


It does sound to me like your monitor or video card might be bad, or it could be just a bad cord. If the lights come on and the thing beeps like it's supposed to, chances are that it is booting up properly and getting to the operating system, but you're just not getting the signal to the screen.


First thing I would do is take out the cable from the computer and the monitor and put them back in and try to start it again. If there's no change, see if maybe somebody you know has an extra monitor you could try, or even an old flatscreen TV they don't use anymore (a lot of them have the same inputs needed for your computer these days).

If you can borrow one and it works, then try their monitor/TV using your cord too to see if your cord is bad.

Monitors have really come down in price these days. You could probably look at this as an opportunity to get yourself a larger screen than you were used to before. I thought I was in heaven when I bought my 27" monitor, but when I bought an old 40" flat screen TV from a buddy at the old job for $75 and used them both for a dual monitor setup on my computer, just wow.


Worst case scenario is if the video card is bad. You can get them really cheap in 2020 since you're not looking for any advanced 3D graphics to run the latest games... maybe $30-$35 tops, but you'd have to open the case and install it yourself or know somebody who can do it for you. You'd also have to buy the right kind to fit the slot on your motherboard... That actually got pretty tricky since they kept changing the nature of the slots that housed the video cards on motherboards as flat screen monitors made demand for higher bandwidth grow very fast. Buy the wrong one and it just won't fit.

Not terribly difficult to install after you got the right one, but I know that it can be daunting for somebody who's never done it before to have to open that case up.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Thursday, June 11, 2020 5:59 AM

6IXSTRINGJACK


Quote:

Originally posted by 1KIKI:
I got my car back! It was the gas tank.

YAY!! I have wheels!



Congrats. I know how good that feels.



Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Thursday, June 11, 2020 5:32 PM

BRENDA


Quote:

Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Shouldn't have to worry about drivers for a monitor anymore these days, unless we're talking about a system so old it's still using Windows XP or something.

But if the computer doesn't have HDMI output which sounds extremely likely, you'd have to make sure that the new monitor has whatever input needed from the video card, or you'd have to buy a converter for it.



DVI (top) or VGA (bottom) is most likely. I haven't bought a new computer monitor in about 5 years, so I don't know what they typically have these days, but mind has DVI, VGA and HDMI inputs.



Quote:

Originally posted by Brenda:
Quote:

Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Quote:

Originally posted by Brenda:
I think the monitor for my Blair's system is shot. Going to have a look around and see if I can get another one.



Monitor? System?

Do Right, Be Right. :)



Sorry. I inherited my late guy's desktop computer when he died. I've got it all wired up here in my new place but the monitor doesn't want to cooperate, so I am thinking it is dead. I turned it one once in the crap place and the acer screen came up (as it is an acer monitor) then I turned it on once after I moved and it wouldn't read the hard drive. All I got was "no signal". Now, when I tried turning it on this week, nothing happened.



Is there a reason you think it's not reading the hard drive?

I'm only asking because it sounds like you're explaining a different problem and I'm not aware what your level of knowledge with computers is and I don't want to assume anything.


It does sound to me like your monitor or video card might be bad, or it could be just a bad cord. If the lights come on and the thing beeps like it's supposed to, chances are that it is booting up properly and getting to the operating system, but you're just not getting the signal to the screen.


First thing I would do is take out the cable from the computer and the monitor and put them back in and try to start it again. If there's no change, see if maybe somebody you know has an extra monitor you could try, or even an old flatscreen TV they don't use anymore (a lot of them have the same inputs needed for your computer these days).

If you can borrow one and it works, then try their monitor/TV using your cord too to see if your cord is bad.

Monitors have really come down in price these days. You could probably look at this as an opportunity to get yourself a larger screen than you were used to before. I thought I was in heaven when I bought my 27" monitor, but when I bought an old 40" flat screen TV from a buddy at the old job for $75 and used them both for a dual monitor setup on my computer, just wow.


Worst case scenario is if the video card is bad. You can get them really cheap in 2020 since you're not looking for any advanced 3D graphics to run the latest games... maybe $30-$35 tops, but you'd have to open the case and install it yourself or know somebody who can do it for you. You'd also have to buy the right kind to fit the slot on your motherboard... That actually got pretty tricky since they kept changing the nature of the slots that housed the video cards on motherboards as flat screen monitors made demand for higher bandwidth grow very fast. Buy the wrong one and it just won't fit.

Not terribly difficult to install after you got the right one, but I know that it can be daunting for somebody who's never done it before to have to open that case up.

Do Right, Be Right. :)



It doesn't have a video card as when my IT friend flipped it from Linux (which my Blair loved) back to Windows, he forgot that. I told him not to worry about it as I wanted to wait until I moved before really taking a stab it. NOW, that I have moved and all this flap happened I can't get a hold of him.

I saw my IT in the local mall and hollered at him but he paid me no mind. So I called him and left a message. Granted I know he is busy and most like behind on stuff because of the lockdown. So, that means I am in a pickle.

I did try to rewiring of the monitor and put on the drive, it light up and beeped. The monitor did nothing when I tried to turn it on. So, I just rewired it the way I had it.

My knowledge is I know basically what the parts are of a hard drive but I don't totally trust myself to take it apart and put it back together.

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Thursday, June 11, 2020 6:48 PM

1KIKI

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.


Hey Brenda - just a real quick check for your monitor ... I can see there might be a couple places where it might not turn on at all - no power-on light. One is the power supply from the computer to the monitor. It seems you have an alternate computer that you're posting from. If it's not a laptop, you might try plugging the monitor into that other computer. You might also try changing out the power cord.

The other is that actual power switch itself on the monitor. Switches go bad! sort of. They develop oxidation and general crud on the contacts. You can fix that if you vigorously use the switch; that helps rub the crud off.

Oh, I found a good troubleshooting guide. You sound like you've already been through this, but I thought I'd post it anyway.

https://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000241.htm

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Thursday, June 11, 2020 6:56 PM

1KIKI

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.


Dang, it was supposed to be cooler today but the max temp here was 94F (34C).

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Thursday, June 11, 2020 7:33 PM

BRENDA


Quote:

Originally posted by 1KIKI:
Hey Brenda - just a real quick check for your monitor ... I can see there might be a couple places where it might not turn on at all - no power-on light. One is the power supply from the computer to the monitor. It seems you have an alternate computer that you're posting from. If it's not a laptop, you might try plugging the monitor into that other computer. You might also try changing out the power cord.

The other is that actual power switch itself on the monitor. Switches go bad! sort of. They develop oxidation and general crud on the contacts. You can fix that if you vigorously use the switch; that helps rub the crud off.

Oh, I found a good troubleshooting guide. You sound like you've already been through this, but I thought I'd post it anyway.

https://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000241.htm



The monitor belongs with the desktop. What I use to type to you guys is a laptop.

The power button on the monitor maybe gone. When I press on it, it won't do anything and it used to make sort of a clicking sound when the monitor would turn on. The light on the button would then be blue.

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Thursday, June 11, 2020 10:05 PM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.


Quote:

Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
I passed.


I probably didn't even need to fix my emissions because of where the O2 sensors were located, but now that it's all over with I'm glad that this happened. The car runs so much better now, and that's with my temporary McGyver fix keeping it all together. I've got an appointment with a welding guy to do it all up proper. $50 to $100 depending on how difficult it will be... he didn't want to say for sure over the phone. My cut is clean. It will be easy. Hell... If I had a welding machine I'd do it myself and I've never welded before.


Just an FYI for anybody who ever needs a CAT test to initiate. Here's the steps that I took that I think ended up in a successful diagnostic, in order of importance:

1. FIND THE EXACT DRIVE CYCLE FOR YOUR MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR OF YOUR VEHICLE. Don't listen to what anybody on YouTube says, or even what mechanics say. They don't know. They couldn't possibly know because drive cycles are all over the freaking map.

Also, DON'T try any "tricks" with revving your engine up while in park for a few minutes at a time. This DID NOT WORK at all and I easily put 30 minutes on my car at 3,000RPM while in park, which might destroy a lesser engine than the bulletproof masterpieces the Japanese were putting out back in the 90's.

2. Buy an OBDII scanner. Even a $25 one that tells you basic codes and which tests have and have not completed will be super helpful. If you have the money, spend the extra cash for one with more monitoring features like temperature values on individual sensors (although in the end I didn't need this, and I knew as much once I did the research last night and read up on the service manual).

3. Dump a bunch of SeaFoam and Heet into your gas tank. The Caveat is that you probably don't need to do this if you have a newer car and you use good gasoline. Additives were much more necessary in the old days when there weren't as many government regulations on gas quality and vehicle construction. But if you haven't treated your car right in the past and/or filled up with cheap gasoline, it can't hurt to burn off a bad tank of gas with additives while trying to get the tests to initiate. SeaFoam does a great job cleaning up carbon deposits within the entire system, and Heet will get any water out of your tank from cheap gasoline.

4. Once your just about out of gas, fill it up with 93 Supreme at a place known to have good gasoline. Look online to find where good gasoline is by you.

5. Follow that drive cycle to the best of your ability. Don't worry if you have to stop and start up again in between. Contrary to the verbiage of the documentation that people post online, the actual drive cycle documentation tells you that this is OK to do. Just make sure you accelerate slowly and coast to stops in between and don't do any hard breaking.

That being said, give it quite a bit more time to complete than they tell you in the cycle before stopping and shutting your car off, especially for a trouble monitor like the CAT. You obviously bank some of that driving time at the correct speeds in between starting and stopping, but the documentation doesn't state anywhere how much or exactly how that works. It took me over 3 times as long to get the CAT monitor to read OK than the drive cycle was supposed to be. Had I turned off the car before it cleared I would have had to start from square one.


I actually hope this doesn't help anybody and nobody ever needs to be put through that stress and BS.




Oh... total cost to have 2 more years driving my car: $34 for flex pipe and clamps (the clamps I'll probably return after the weld). $30 for gas. 1 broken heavy metal sawzall blade, and another that I dulled to the point of ineffectiveness.



Do Right, Be Right. :)



WOOHOO!!!!
SO HAPPY FOR YOU!!!
I'll bet that's a load off your mind!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

#WEARAMASK

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Thursday, June 11, 2020 10:07 PM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.


Quote:

Originally posted by 1KIKI:
I got my car back! It was the gas tank.

YAY!! I have wheels!


ANOTHER WOO HOO!!!!
A good day for cars today!


-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

#WEARAMASK

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Thursday, June 11, 2020 10:14 PM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.


It does sound like the monitor BRENDA. Just make sure that you have actual power going to the monitor... there can be three "wires" going to the back of a standard monitor from the desktop, and one is a heavier power cable that has actual power connections on it, like a rwo or three-pronged plug and its inverse. For some reason, our monitor is kinda hinky and the power cable comes loose a little bit, so unplug and plug back in the connector from the PC to the cable and from the cable to the monitor.

Sorry if you've been thru that already, I have't had a chance to read all of the back-and-forth and in a bit of a hurry.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

#WEARAMASK

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Thursday, June 11, 2020 10:54 PM

6IXSTRINGJACK


Quote:

Originally posted by Brenda:
It doesn't have a video card as when my IT friend flipped it from Linux (which my Blair loved) back to Windows, he forgot that. I told him not to worry about it as I wanted to wait until I moved before really taking a stab it. NOW, that I have moved and all this flap happened I can't get a hold of him.



It has to have video output. If there isn't a card, it has to be on the Motherboard. That would surprise me though. It sounds like this is a fairly old computer and having an onboard GPU would have been pretty pricey. It's a common thing for Laptops to have the GPU on the board, but desktops almost always use a video card, unless you've got one of those micro-PC units that are pretty tiny, or an all-in-one destop. In all the computers I've built over the years I've never owned a desktop that had on board graphics and always bought a video card for it.

Which plug of the two I posted above (or HDMI) goes into your monitor?

Quote:

I saw my IT in the local mall and hollered at him but he paid me no mind. So I called him and left a message. Granted I know he is busy and most like behind on stuff because of the lockdown. So, that means I am in a pickle.

I did try to rewiring of the monitor and put on the drive, it light up and beeped. The monitor did nothing when I tried to turn it on. So, I just rewired it the way I had it.

My knowledge is I know basically what the parts are of a hard drive but I don't totally trust myself to take it apart and put it back together.



Hmmmmmm... I hope the guy gets back in touch with you soon. I think we may be talking past each other, and without being able to see any pictures of your rig I can't really offer any assistance.



Quote:

Originally posted by Brenda:

The monitor belongs with the desktop. What I use to type to you guys is a laptop.

The power button on the monitor maybe gone. When I press on it, it won't do anything and it used to make sort of a clicking sound when the monitor would turn on. The light on the button would then be blue.




Yeah... I can't really help you with that. Maybe try what Kiki suggested? I had two flat screens go bad on me over the years, and one of them sounds like what you're describing. But by the time mine went bad I either already got another hand-me-down from my brother or co-workers or bought a 2nd monitor that was bigger myself so I just threw them to the curb when they gave me trouble.

Good luck!



Oh... and if you do decide to get another monitor, you should ask your friends if they have a spare or go to Goodwill or a thrift shop first. These things have been out long enough now that you can get pretty nice ones that people got rid of because they went bigger and better. Just make sure you can plug it in and see that it at least turns on before you give them the cash.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Thursday, June 11, 2020 11:08 PM

6IXSTRINGJACK


Quote:

Originally posted by SIGNYM:
WOOHOO!!!!
SO HAPPY FOR YOU!!!
I'll bet that's a load off your mind!



Thank you Sigs. You don't even know...

I was so excited about it that I've been up since 2:30 this morning and wasn't able to get back to sleep. By 7:00 I was outside working again.

I got the garage completely clean and organized. I still have tools in the house to integrate and I have to put together my core indoor set together, but it looks fantastic and I have easy access to everything and a huge 4' x 12' work bench that is completely cleared off with nothing in front of it blocking my way to actually being able to do work on top of it now!

I fixed a few things inside my car that haven't worked for years because for the first time I felt they were worthwhile to do. I vacuumed it and spent about 4 hours cleaning the insides of the window and getting 12 years of nicotine stains out of everything.

I tried to put the radio back in, but it's not working right. I have yet to determine if the radio went bad or if I have a ground problem with my car. Something to do for another day, but it's a damn shame because when it does work it reminds me of how much I missed having a radio in my car.


Oh, and I got the pipe welded too. Found a guy who did it for $35 at a legit shop and he did a great job. Told me if he didn't have to dick around with my temporary patch it would have only cost me $20.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Thursday, June 11, 2020 11:41 PM

BRENDA


Quote:

Originally posted by SIGNYM:
It does sound like the monitor BRENDA. Just make sure that you have actual power going to the monitor... there can be three "wires" going to the back of a standard monitor from the desktop, and one is a heavier power cable that has actual power connections on it, like a rwo or three-pronged plug and its inverse. For some reason, our monitor is kinda hinky and the power cable comes loose a little bit, so unplug and plug back in the connector from the PC to the cable and from the cable to the monitor.

Sorry if you've been thru that already, I have't had a chance to read all of the back-and-forth and in a bit of a hurry.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

#WEARAMASK



The monitor power cord is plugged in and the only cable I touched is the one that goes from the monitor to the hard drive.

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Thursday, June 11, 2020 11:48 PM

BRENDA


Quote:

Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Quote:

Originally posted by Brenda:
It doesn't have a video card as when my IT friend flipped it from Linux (which my Blair loved) back to Windows, he forgot that. I told him not to worry about it as I wanted to wait until I moved before really taking a stab it. NOW, that I have moved and all this flap happened I can't get a hold of him.



Quote:

It has to have video output. If there isn't a card, it has to be on the Motherboard. That would surprise me though. It sounds like this is a fairly old computer and having an onboard GPU would have been pretty pricey. It's a common thing for Laptops to have the GPU on the board, but desktops almost always use a video card, unless you've got one of those micro-PC units that are pretty tiny, or an all-in-one destop. In all the computers I've built over the years I've never owned a desktop that had on board graphics and always bought a video card for it.

Which plug of the two I posted above (or HDMI) goes into your monitor?
Quote:



It is a fairly old computer. Not sure how long he had it before I inherited it and the monitor is second hand as well. A friend brought it to him from his work place as they were getting some new monitors. I'll have to back and look at what you posted to then add it to this reply.

Quote:

I saw my IT in the local mall and hollered at him but he paid me no mind. So I called him and left a message. Granted I know he is busy and most like behind on stuff because of the lockdown. So, that means I am in a pickle.

I did try to rewiring of the monitor and put on the drive, it light up and beeped. The monitor did nothing when I tried to turn it on. So, I just rewired it the way I had it.

My knowledge is I know basically what the parts are of a hard drive but I don't totally trust myself to take it apart and put it back together.



Quote:

Hmmmmmm... I hope the guy gets back in touch with you soon. I think we may be talking past each other, and without being able to see any pictures of your rig I can't really offer any assistance.



Me too. I could really kill him right now.



Quote:

Originally posted by Brenda:

The monitor belongs with the desktop. What I use to type to you guys is a laptop.

The power button on the monitor maybe gone. When I press on it, it won't do anything and it used to make sort of a clicking sound when the monitor would turn on. The light on the button would then be blue.




Yeah... I can't really help you with that. Maybe try what Kiki suggested? I had two flat screens go bad on me over the years, and one of them sounds like what you're describing. But by the time mine went bad I either already got another hand-me-down from my brother or co-workers or bought a 2nd monitor that was bigger myself so I just threw them to the curb when they gave me trouble.

Good luck!



Oh... and if you do decide to get another monitor, you should ask your friends if they have a spare or go to Goodwill or a thrift shop first. These things have been out long enough now that you can get pretty nice ones that people got rid of because they went bigger and better. Just make sure you can plug it in and see that it at least turns on before you give them the cash.

Do Right, Be Right. :)



I did try the flipping the cord around and I think all it did was mess up my lap top because it is all plugged into a power bar. I will look at some thrift shops if I decide to get one.

ETA: I had another look at the picture you posted and both ends sort of look like the cable I've got.

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Friday, June 12, 2020 3:03 AM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.


Quote:

Originally posted by 1KIKI:
Dang, it was supposed to be cooler today but the max temp here was 94F (34C).

Well, yesterday it was 98 at our house, so today's 93 seemed cooler!

Did my usual one hour of yardwork. Today it was a combination of things... raking avocado leaves (STILL) in prep for weeding and mulching, taking apart an old Texas tomato cage that that rusted together, binning up weeds, tossing out palm flower stalks (greenwaste won't take them) and raking out the shredded-leaf mulch that we dumped under one of the avocados. Also went grocery shopping and mailed out some bill pays and made a couple of phone calls still trying to fix some bills that Medicare fucked up when they randomly changed their status from primary to secondary insurance. Also tried a very new chicken recipe on hubby who "hates chicken". this was an "oven fried" chicken but the secret to success is to marinade the chicken in milk/paprika/garlic/salt/sugar/bay leave mixture for a few hours, then coat it with an egg/mustard/garlic powder/fresh ground pepper mix, then roll it in a panko/parmesan/olive oil before baking. Also, I have learned over the years that chicken breast is dry and flavorless when overcooked, so I start the wings, thighs, and drumsticks 20 minutes early and bake the chicken breast for the shortest amount of time after that ... maybe 15 minutes. Served with cucumber salad and a tomato/parsley/oinion/s&p/vinegar/olive oil salad. It must have tasted good because family asked for seconds!

But the big cooldown is coming tomorrow ... 80 degrees. WOOHOO!

Just in time to be working in the garage. I love my hubby but this garage fixup is getting kinda ... old. In addition to my yardwork yesterday we replaced the last of the 6 flourescent tubes in the garage and also the 4 fluoresecent tubes in the kitchen with LED tubes plus we had to fix the thermostat in the livingroom because the batteries pooped out and the newer ones didn't quite reach the contacts, which had corroded. Long story.

Tomorrow I edge the lawn and cut down some large elephant ears that just sprang up (I sure didn't plant them!) and rake out the new flower garden. And then we put in the last two upper shelves. Maybe the brackets for the workbench too. And then I say fuckit and lay down and read a stupid woman's magazine!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

#WEARAMASK

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Friday, June 12, 2020 3:54 AM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.


Also, I harvested my very first "crop" from the garden, which was beet greens (from thinning), and parsley for the tomato salad. In the coming week it wll be basil for chicken parmagiana and pork tenderloin stir fry with basil and Thai red curry sauce. By late next week the zucchini will be ready to pick!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

#WEARAMASK

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Friday, June 12, 2020 4:23 AM

1KIKI

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.


I ... uh ... went grocery shopping today and ran a bunch of errands ... what I was going to do a couple of days ago when I discovered the gas tank leak ... and then when I got home the heat just knocked me out and I slept a fair bit of the evening.

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Friday, June 12, 2020 8:48 AM

1KIKI

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.




https://twnews.us/us-news/unusually-warm-may-contributes-to-expanding-
drought-in-the-west


Unusually warm May contributes to expanding drought in the West

The Western drought has continued to expand and intensify, according to U.S. Drought Monitor data released Thursday.

Wet late-spring weather resulted in a slight decrease in the area deemed to be in extreme drought in Northern California. Severe drought receded a little in parts of northeastern Utah and southwestern Washington. Unseasonably heavy precipitation, including high-elevation snow, fell in northeastern Utah, the Drought Monitor reported.

But conditions worsened east of the Cascades, and abnormal dryness spread into southeastern Arizona. Drought developed and intensified in northern and eastern New Mexico.

One factor in the expanding drought is the fact that May 2020 was the fifth-warmest May on record. This probably exacerbated the dryness and contributed to a number of wildfires, according to the Drought Monitor’s summary.

A ridge of high pressure over Alaska and the West Coast in the first half of May drove the warm temperatures in the West. Above-average temperatures extended from the Pacific Northwest to Texas and across parts of Florida. During the same period, parts of the East were unseasonably cold.

Persistent drought and warm temperatures in the West continue to fuel fears of an early fire season in Northern California and the Pacific Northwest.

May 2020 was the fourth-warmest May on record in Alaska, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Average ice extent during May on the Bering Sea was the highest since 2013 but was only 71% of the 1981-2010 average.

Cooler weather is expected to return to Southern California in the next few days after a spate of heat and what the National Weather Service called an unusual late-season Santa Ana condition. Temperatures may dip below average and some mountain showers are possible in Northern California.

But as UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain points out, there are already hints of the next big heatwave on the horizon for the last 10 days of June. Whereas the recent bout of heat primarily affected Central and Southern California, the broad ridge of high pressure that may be in the offing for late June could encompass the entire West Coast.


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Friday, June 12, 2020 10:46 AM

6IXSTRINGJACK


Nice. It dipped down into the 60s last night and we've got a few days break from the heat. (Not heat like y'all are having in California though... glad to hear that you're getting a break from it). I don't mind cooler weather as long as it doesn't mean it's going to rain 3 inches every day. So far so good.

I'm going to do some final touches on the garage and figure out exactly which tools I want to keep in the house. I forgot until late last night I have a new large tool bag from a Craftsman 2-pack that came along with all the other free stuff I got when I bought the new shop vac. I want to have a good core tool set in there and keep it in my car for future jobs on the go.

Man... I've even got my car working for me now, with only the various stuff I ever use in there and everything else either thrown out or put somewhere it belongs in the house or the garage.

If my main tool bench wasn't so huge and I didn't have another smaller one on the other side, I'd easily be able to fit two vehicles in my garage now.


By the end of the weekend I have to make up my mind on whether or not I can fix that power washer. It would probably last the rest of my life if I could and would be far more powerful than anything I'd be willing to buy to replace it. I need it for a few waterproofing projects on the house, and I'm going to need it to clean the cracks in the garage and shed before I seal them up, as well as the cracks in the asphalt driveway before I give that a nice black top seal coat. My old man says I've got the rest of the outside looking so nice I'd probably add $10k to the property value just by making that driveway look nice.




Sounds like you're doing great work Sigs. Keep it up. And remember to break down huge goals into smaller ones so you have things to celebrate along the way.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Friday, June 12, 2020 11:07 AM

6IXSTRINGJACK


Hey Brenda,


I think I see what's going on. You were confusing me with "hard drive".

This is a hard drive in a Desktop Computer:


The hard drive is the part of the computer that stores all of the information the computer needs to run and can also store your music, movies, pictures and any programs you install. They are quite large in desktops compared to the ones found in laptops.

You don't plug anything directly into the hard drive. There are two "outlets" on a hard drive, but one is for power and the other is for the data connection, and they both plug into different parts of your computer's motherboard internally. If you don't ever open your case, you won't ever interact with the hard drive.


What you're talking about is what I just call the "Case". Other names for it are the Chassis, Tower or Cabinet. It's the enclosure that holds and protects all of the electronic parts. The Motherboard, the CPU, the memory, the hard drive, the video/sound card, etc.

When you're plugging the cable from the monitor into the Case, you're plugging it into the video output from the Video Card.


Quote:

I did try the flipping the cord around and I think all it did was mess up my lap top because it is all plugged into a power bar. I will look at some thrift shops if I decide to get one.


It messed up your "lap top"? Just checking here because I thought we were talking about your desktop.

If we are still talking about your desktop computer, unless some random freak occurrence happened because of some faulty wiring in the cable, reversing which side went into your case and the monitor didn't hurt anything. The only time any sort of polarity problems could occur when wiring something to a computer has always been accounted for and before they made newer tech we take for granted today that are completely reversible they would make different sized ends for cables to ensure they weren't put in the wrong way. Your display cables can go either way without any problems.


Quote:

ETA: I had another look at the picture you posted and both ends sort of look like the cable I've got.


My mistake. I shouldn't have posted a picture of adapters and caused more confusion. Here's a picture of the actual cables:



(DVI is on the Left, VGA is on the Right.

DVI is rectangular and one of the prongs is a "line" instead of just pins. VGA is all pins, and is shorter on the bottom than it is on top and the sides are angled).


If you do buy a new monitor, you're going to need to know which one that your computer uses or you will not be able to plug it in. Well, you can, but you'll need to get an adapter (like the ones I posted before). They should be a lot cheaper than they are, but they are one of those products that have an obscene price markup, especially in brick and mortar stores. You'd be able to get it a lot cheaper online, but I know you don't have the ability to order stuff online. So it's better just to figure out which one you have and make sure the monitor you get will support it. Most monitors will probably support both, but I haven't been in the market for a long time and that might not be true anymore. Both VGA and DVI are aging technology now and if manufacturers what to shave production costs to make their monitor cheaper they might opt to cut one or both of them and just go with HDMI since that's becoming the new universal standard for video/audio output.


If you have the ability to do so, you can take a picture of where you plug the monitor cable into your case and just take that with you and make sure the new monitor has the same connector. (Since it's an old computer, I think we can assume that it's either of those two and not an HDMI for BluRay to 4K video output).


Please don't hesitate to ask any questions and I'll be glad to help. I've had a lot of experience walking my mom and my grandma through computer troubleshooting steps over the phone for decades and I've got the patience and the time.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Friday, June 12, 2020 1:36 PM

BRENDA


Out for my walk in the rain. Yuck!

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Friday, June 12, 2020 4:58 PM

BRENDA


Quote:

Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Hey Brenda,


I think I see what's going on. You were confusing me with "hard drive".

This is a hard drive in a Desktop Computer:
The hard drive is the part of the computer that stores all of the information the computer needs to run and can also store your music, movies, pictures and any programs you install. They are quite large in desktops compared to the ones found in laptops.

You don't plug anything directly into the hard drive. There are two "outlets" on a hard drive, but one is for power and the other is for the data connection, and they both plug into different parts of your computer's motherboard internally. If you don't ever open your case, you won't ever interact with the hard drive.


What you're talking about is what I just call the "Case". Other names for it are the Chassis, Tower or Cabinet. It's the enclosure that holds and protects all of the electronic parts. The Motherboard, the CPU, the memory, the hard drive, the video/sound card, etc.

When you're plugging the cable from the monitor into the Case, you're plugging it into the video output from the Video Card.


Quote:

I did try the flipping the cord around and I think all it did was mess up my lap top because it is all plugged into a power bar. I will look at some thrift shops if I decide to get one.


It messed up your "lap top"? Just checking here because I thought we were talking about your desktop.

If we are still talking about your desktop computer, unless some random freak occurrence happened because of some faulty wiring in the cable, reversing which side went into your case and the monitor didn't hurt anything. The only time any sort of polarity problems could occur when wiring something to a computer has always been accounted for and before they made newer tech we take for granted today that are completely reversible they would make different sized ends for cables to ensure they weren't put in the wrong way. Your display cables can go either way without any problems.


Quote:

ETA: I had another look at the picture you posted and both ends sort of look like the cable I've got.


My mistake. I shouldn't have posted a picture of adapters and caused more confusion. Here's a picture of the actual cables:



(DVI is on the Left, VGA is on the Right.

DVI is rectangular and one of the prongs is a "line" instead of just pins. VGA is all pins, and is shorter on the bottom than it is on top and the sides are angled).


If you do buy a new monitor, you're going to need to know which one that your computer uses or you will not be able to plug it in. Well, you can, but you'll need to get an adapter (like the ones I posted before). They should be a lot cheaper than they are, but they are one of those products that have an obscene price markup, especially in brick and mortar stores. You'd be able to get it a lot cheaper online, but I know you don't have the ability to order stuff online. So it's better just to figure out which one you have and make sure the monitor you get will support it. Most monitors will probably support both, but I haven't been in the market for a long time and that might not be true anymore. Both VGA and DVI are aging technology now and if manufacturers what to shave production costs to make their monitor cheaper they might opt to cut one or both of them and just go with HDMI since that's becoming the new universal standard for video/audio output.


If you have the ability to do so, you can take a picture of where you plug the monitor cable into your case and just take that with you and make sure the new monitor has the same connector. (Since it's an old computer, I think we can assume that it's either of those two and not an HDMI for BluRay to 4K video output).


Please don't hesitate to ask any questions and I'll be glad to help. I've had a lot of experience walking my mom and my grandma through computer troubleshooting steps over the phone for decades and I've got the patience and the time.

Do Right, Be Right. :)



Okay, that picture looks like the shape of the piece the case is missing.

I have 2 things. Blair's desk top with the missing piece and I use a laptop for talking to you all as I can't use the desktop. I really do hate laptops because as I've said in the last little while I feel like I have to jam my face into the screen to see properly and I up the zoom on it.

I want the desktop working as it has my finished book on it and I want to get back to finding a publisher. Can't really do any of that with this laptop as no Word doc on this. So if I want to do that that means doing 2 different things.

From your description I am looking for a monitor with VGA(angled, one side longer than the other and pins) because that is what the ends look like to me.

This desk top has other problems as well as I think the keyboard is gone too which would mean I think the mouse too. The keyboard doesn't light up anymore that I can tell.

Thanks for the help Jack. I love this technology but it is a little difficult for me at times, I will admit.

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Friday, June 12, 2020 4:59 PM

BRENDA


Flipside, this thing seems to have completed its updates the other night or so ago. Thank goodness.

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Friday, June 12, 2020 5:38 PM

BRENDA


A chiropractor, a chiropractor. My kingdom for a chiropractor.

My neck is so out of whack that the little vitamin D capsule that I take got sort of stuck in my throat. Took several swallows of water to get it going. Arrrgghhh!!!

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Friday, June 12, 2020 11:50 PM

BRENDA


My phone's been busy tonight.

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Saturday, June 13, 2020 12:31 AM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.


Quote:

1KIKI: Dang, it was supposed to be cooler today but the max temp here was 94F (34C).

SIGNY: Well, yesterday it was 98 at our house, so today's 93 seemed cooler!

Did my usual one hour of yardwork. Today it was a combination of things... raking avocado leaves (STILL) in prep for weeding and mulching, taking apart an old Texas tomato cage that that rusted together, binning up weeds, tossing out palm flower stalks (greenwaste won't take them) and raking out the shredded-leaf mulch that we dumped under one of the avocados. Also went grocery shopping and mailed out some bill pays and made a couple of phone calls still trying to fix some bills that Medicare fucked up when they randomly changed their status from primary to secondary insurance. Also tried a very new chicken recipe on hubby who "hates chicken". this was an "oven fried" chicken but the secret to success is to marinade the chicken in milk/paprika/garlic/salt/sugar/bay leave mixture for a few hours, then coat it with an egg/mustard/garlic powder/fresh ground pepper mix, then roll it in a panko/parmesan/olive oil before baking. Also, I have learned over the years that chicken breast is dry and flavorless when overcooked, so I start the wings, thighs, and drumsticks 20 minutes early and bake the chicken breast for the shortest amount of time after that ... maybe 15 minutes. Served with cucumber salad and a tomato/parsley/oinion/s&p/vinegar/olive oil salad. It must have tasted good because family asked for seconds!

But the big cooldown is coming tomorrow ... 80 degrees. WOOHOO!

Just in time to be working in the garage. I love my hubby but this garage fixup is getting kinda ... old. In addition to my yardwork yesterday we replaced the last of the 6 flourescent tubes in the garage and also the 4 fluoresecent tubes in the kitchen with LED tubes plus we had to fix the thermostat in the livingroom because the batteries pooped out and the newer ones didn't quite reach the contacts, which had corroded. Long story.

Tomorrow I edge the lawn and cut down some large elephant ears that just sprang up (I sure didn't plant them!) and rake out the new flower garden. And then we put in the last two upper shelves. Maybe the brackets for the workbench too. And then I say fuckit and lay down and read a stupid woman's magazine!



As usual, I over-anticipated what I could accomplish. I managed to cut down the elephant ears (there were three, not two, and I had to use a bow-saw to do it) but did not manage to dig them out. One of them was so happy where is was that it was about to flower but ... sorry, dude/ette, you were blocking the sunshine for the plants that I want.

After that it was all garage-work. We managed to put up brackets and shelves for the two over-workbench shelving, so at this point the last thing to do is attach the brackets to the 16' plywood wall-patch, and then wait on the plywood so we can put the workbench in. After that, I truly hope that is the end of the garage-reconfiguration that requires our help, at least for a while, because I have projects of my own to complete.

*****

KIKI, I've been thinking about our common problem of which tree to plant. I suggest Catalina Island cherry. It has a much more upright habit than hollyleaf cherry, is evergreen and wildlife-friendly.

Unfortunately, I already planted three Catalina Island cherries on the property line (to block the view of some ugly, ugly McMansions that a developer put up, shade the property, and create that "outdoor room" configuration that I like; it looks like they're going to do the job) so I feel like I need some sort of alternate. I tend to like the channel island species better. Ironwood maybe? https://www.nps.gov/chis/learn/nature/woodlands.htm

Single-leaf pinyon pine (pinus monophylla) perhaps?
http://www.californiagardens.com/Plant_Pages/pinus_monophylla.htm



*****

On a health-related note: Several weeks ago I tried drinking Earl Grey tea, and had a bad, bad reaction to it: "everything hurt all over" (again). I thought it was the tea so I stopped drinking it but didn't feel much better. And then I had the idea that maybe it was an interaction between the statin and the bergamot flavoring in the tea (kind of like the reaction between statins and grapefruit) so I quit the statin. And wouldn't you know ... I feel a lot better. Not just "as good as I felt before everything hurt all over" but even better than that. I think that statin was just dragging me down a little more every month, so slowly that I didn't notice until I stopped it. This is the third or fourth statin that my doctors have tried me on, and sooner or later they all made me feel like shit. I'm done with statins. Anything that makes me feel that bad can't be good for me!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

#WEARAMASK

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Saturday, June 13, 2020 1:41 AM

1KIKI

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.


A new tree I never heard of! How did you dig this up?

So I checked it out a bit -

Lynothamnus floribundus ssp. aspleniifolius has the multiple leaflets that almost look like a legume-tree (like acacia, mesquite, caesalpinia, mimosa, fairy duster, and palo verde) ... but ... aren't.



It's a pretty tree


with lovely flowers



My heavy clay soil would not do well by it, I think, but your soil would be great!

~~~~~~


I'm glad you figured out what was giving you pain, Signy!

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